Image courtesy of Studio G Architects

Franklin Cummings Tech’s relocation to Roxbury’s Nubian Square forced administrators to cast a wide net for financing after a delayed windfall in the sale of its South End campus.

The trade school’s relocation to Roxbury reflected an opportunity to sell its increasingly valuable real estate on Berkeley Street to developer Related Beal, and put the proceeds toward a brand-new facility that prepares 1,000 students for careers in emerging industries such as robotics and clean energy.

This morning, a groundbreaking ceremony marked the beginning of construction at the 1011 Harrison Ave. site. But the project plans took a different turn amid delays in redevelopment of the South End property, which had been in the works since 2020.

“The past year has been a process of rising to the challenge and thinking creatively on how to fund a bridge from the South End to Nubian Square,” FC Tech President Aisha Francis said in an interview.

School administrators turned to public sources and philanthropy to assemble loans and tax credits needed to break ground on the Nubian Square campus. The 3-story building will include labs, classrooms, meeting and study areas, a lounge and administrative offices.

Previously known as Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, the school changed its name following a $12.5 million gift from suburban real estate titans Bill and Joyce Cummings, while preparing to sell its South End property that had housed the school since 1908.

Related Beal agreed to acquire the 1.2-acre Berkeley Street property and received approval in December 2022 for a 262,450-square-foot redevelopment including a senior care facility and condominiums.

The project has yet to break ground, and FC Tech turned to other sources seeking short-term financing including a $38.5 million bridge loan led by the federal Community Development Investment Fund.

One of the most important components of the completed financing package was New Market tax credits, a federal program that is designed to stimulate investment in low-income communities, said Kevin Hepner, FC Tech’s chief financial officer. The tax credits generated $9.2 million toward the project, Hepner said.

“It’s a difficult underwriting environment and funders are quite cautious, which is why we are fortunate. Traditional bank financing can be difficult in this day and age, given the bank failures of last summer,” he said.

The tax credits were provided by BlueHub Capital, Consortium America, Chase, Grow America, Partners for the Common Good.

The city of Boston provided a $4 million grant, and the Boston Foundation and Boston Children’s Hospital provided low-interest community impact loans.

“Thankfully we live in a region that cares quite a bit about impact investment and understands the importance of our mission to transform lives through the education we offer,” Francis said.

The loan consortium led by the Property Casualty Initiative included participation by Massachusetts Housing Investment Fund, The Life Initiative, Non Profit Finance Fund, Low Income Investment Fund, Cambridge Savings Bank and Eastern Bank.

The Boston Foundation, Boston Children’s Hospital, and the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation provided loans. Donations also were received from The Barr Foundation, Cummings Foundation, The Hamilton Company Charitable Foundation, The Klarman Family Foundation, The Lynch Foundation, Liberty Mutual Foundation, and generous individual donors.

Designed by Jamaica Plain architects Studio G, the facility includes all-electric building systems and such sustainability features as solar panels and roof-mounted wind turbines.

“At Studio G, we are deeply committed to designing spaces that not only meet the functional needs of our clients but also contribute positively to the communities they serve,” Studio G Project Manager Sally Gibson said in a statement.